Review: Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition Poses No Threat To The Classic

Kraft is releasing yet another version of its classic blue box macaroni and cheese, only this time, it's treating its fanbase to flavors not commonly associated with boxed mac. Let's face it — though classically scrumptious, traditional blue box macaroni and cheese isn't exactly a restaurant-quality option. Even Kraft's new protein-infused PowerMac isn't likely to rival that of one served at an upscale eatery, despite its cheesily delicious taste.

In an effort to provide customers with a fancier, more budget-friendly way to indulge, Kraft has released its classic mac in a way I never thought I'd see. The new Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition flavors are hitting store shelves, all of which are said to feature "elevated" ingredients and uniquely shaped noodles. There are three flavors total: Parmesan Pesto, Romano Cacio e Pepe, and Monterey Jack Caramelized Onion.

I have to admit, I was pretty excited to try the new Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition flavors; despite being a boxed mac and cheese variety, all three options sounded quite tempting, and I was curious as to which flavors, if not all, are actually worth buying. So, how does the new Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition stack up? Stick around for the scoop on important details, including its taste and release date.

The new Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition flavors were sent to me by the company for my unbiased review. I judged the products on aroma, taste, texture, value for money, and how they compared to traditional Kraft Mac & Cheese. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this article are my own; pricing, availability, and other details are subject to change. 

Recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Erm — no. Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition Parmesan Pesto may suit some people, but for me, this one's a hard pass. Even before sampling it, I was unsure of how its flavor would translate: I love pesto, whose flavor can be made more complex with miso paste, but have never sampled it over noodles.

Aside from the sheer beauty of twisty gemelli noodles coated in a bright green sauce, Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition Parmesan Pesto failed to impress me in terms of flavor. From the moment I opened the cheese packet, I could feel myself getting nauseous. Though I enjoy pesto, I did not enjoy the smell of this stuff. After adding milk and butter, it seemed like forever before the cheese would meld with the rest of the mixture. Once it did, I gave it a small taste and it didn't go over well.

It isn't that Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition Parmesan Pesto doesn't taste like pesto — it does. It just lacks that signature, rich, mac and cheesy flavor that I so love. And though I can at least confirm that the pasta tastes a lot better than it smells, I still couldn't bring myself to finish the rest of Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition Parmesan Pesto. Guess I'm more of a traditionalist when it comes to mac and cheese flavor.

Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition Romano Cacio e Pepe is definitely the underdog of the group; I fully expected it to be the most boring as it didn't seem to bring anything too exciting to the table. In the end, though, its classic yet slightly elevated approach is what caused it to stand out the most. 

Though made of Romano cheese and pipette noodles, it encompassed that same silky smooth, rich cheesy taste of the original Kraft Mac & Cheese. The pipette noodles are the best part of the pasta — the noodle itself is uber tender, and because of its large shape, it houses lots of luscious cheese.

Despite its classic flavor, there is one characteristic you should take note of, and that is that Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition Romano Cacio e Pepe is extremely peppery. Because of this, I wouldn't consider it a great option for children. Remember, black pepper is the dominant flavor here, so if you aren't a fan of this common spice, be sure to steer clear. Still, despite its bold flavor, Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition Romano Cacio e Pepe ended up being my favorite of the bunch — its spicy kick was tolerable and was a surprising yet welcome addition to its rich and cheesy flavor.

I definitely didn't expect to like Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition Monterey Jack Caramelized Onion; though I love using caramelized onions in a variety of ways, mac and cheese isn't one of them. I also wasn't too impressed by the cavetappi noodles — they're fun and different, yes, but they also seem a bit hum-drum when compared to the noodles featured in other Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition flavors. 

That said, upon opening the packet of Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition Monterey Jack Caramelized Onion cheese, I began to second-guess my initial bias — its smell was quite delicious, almost identical to that of grilled onions. Once I added the butter and the milk, I was surprised at how creamy the mac and cheese was and, most importantly, how good it tasted. There were, thankfully, no chunks of onion in the mac — just a beautifully mastered, very gentle caramelized onion flavor that melds perfectly with the Monterey Jack cheese. 

Will I buy Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition Monterey Jack Caramelized Onion? Honestly? Probably not. As much as I enjoyed it, my traditionalist taste buds were still left craving the original blue box classic.

The new Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition flavors are certainly different from the original. The noodle shape and cheese used for each flavor is very eclectic; if you're looking for something different than the traditional blue box flavors, this is your chance. Still, though different, I don't necessarily consider the new Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition flavors to be better than the traditional blue box Mac & Cheese. 

The original Kraft Mac & Cheese has a creamy, classic cheddar taste that I believe traditional mac lovers will appreciate more than these fancier renditions. That said, I can't say they aren't worth trying at all; at least two of the flavors are pretty tasty, and the amount of macaroni and cheese given is enough to realistically feed at least two very hungry mac and cheese lovers, even when served as an entree on its own.

Yes, the new Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition flavors taste pretty good, and yes, they contain uniquely shaped noodles. Even so, these boxed mac and cheese grabs lacked the wow factor I expected — though two of the flavors were decent, they didn't impress me enough for me to consider dropping the extra cash just to enjoy them.

One thing I will say is that adding meat or veggies to the new Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition flavors could upgrade your macaroni and cheese significantly. Because these new releases contain such uniquely crafted flavors, I could see each pairing well with certain ingredients and thus, could be made into a pretty solid entree.

My recommendation? Toss a few steak strips into the Romano Cacio e Pepe, add sweet and spicy chopped bacon to Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition Monterey Jack Caramelized Onion cheese, and make the most of any boneless, skinless chicken breasts you have on hand by adding them to the Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition Parmesan Pesto. Of course, you could also simply enjoy Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition flavors on their own; just be warned that you likely won't be floored by their flavor.

The new Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition flavors are set to hit store shelves in April 2026, though an exact date has not been officially released by the brand. Each flavor (Parmesan Pesto, Romano Cacio e Pepe, and Monterey Jack Caramelized Onion) will come in a 9 ½ ounce box and will be priced at $3.49 per box. 

For comparison's sake, it might help to know that the pricing for the original Kraft Mac and Cheese runs from around $1.24 to $1.87 at our local market – this means you'll pay from around 17 cents per ounce for the classic version versus 37 cents per ounce for the new Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition. Remember that the original Kraft Mac and Cheese comes in a 7 ¼ ounce box — so while it might seem that you get "more" by purchasing Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition flavors, you're technically actually paying more per ounce for these restaurant-style options. 

As far as availability, expect to find Kraft Mac & Cheese Restaurant Edition flavors at retailers nationwide or wherever the original Kraft Mac & Cheese is normally sold.